News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-01-27
NANCY DEDMAN.'

at was an ugly bit of travelling, I can
tell you, over Hinde Head in nv Young
days; as lonesome a place az anv in the
country round. And it weren't for moth.
ing as they gived the place to the Devil
neither; there's the DEVILS Jumps over
to Frensham, and his PunchbowI at
your feeti and over to the Downs you
sees his very marks! his claws as where
he grabbed as he fell. And the deeds
done round about were his own and no
mistake.
I'm thinking now of a tale as is not
so known rs it should be. That stone
before ye tells of the poor sailor chap as
was murdered here, for his money no
doubt-coming from Portsmouth he
were; but no stone nor no book, so far
as L know, has spoke for Nancy Ded-
man
ssHers was a death indeed. I can't
speak to the partiklers. for I had it as it
were handed down through ninety wears
and more; but won't tell you lie if l
can help it; and for all [ haven't it
chapter and verse, it's wonderful life
some, too.
1.-The Dedmans lived, when they was
to home, in bit of place in the Combe
there. You might pass within a yard
OF 1t and not see it, so grandfather said.
They was of smuggling crew. There
was chain of them smugglers, from
Portsmouth all the way. and wild set
they was. They had the country ON
their side though, and the coastguardses
was thought no better of than they de-
served. There was too brothers, Dick
and Joe Dedman, and their father; and
Nancy was the one girl She was a
beauty by all accounts-very wild, too,
and as rare one at smuggling as any of
them; and she would ride bareback on
any horse, and be out all night and all
day, and many's the time when she's
kept the coastguardses at bay, and done
many O bit of business as wanted a wo-
mans wit and a mans strength.
''She must have been still lass when
there was news of rare lot of spirits
and baccy, dt was the war time, and
the word was passed along the line
from Portsmouth to Hinde Head, and
beyond too, in course. And the Kings
men got wind on it, and they made
ready for fray-they thought as how
they would break the neck of this
smuggling business; more fools they !
denied their rights so easyl Well, it
seems as they'd planned to put so many
at each of the smuggling posts, all ready
and they said they would settle all,
and easy, too, excepting the Dedman
lot, on account of Dick Dedman; he
was wonderful power of man! They'd
had warrant agin him ever so long,
but never could lay hand on him, nor
find out where he put up. So one of the
Kings men, "a sharp young fellow,
whose father were a farmer, but lately
come over to this side of GodaIming,)
he took the job. And he dropped down
one day on Nancy Dedman in the Combe,
and made out as he were sailor on his
way to Lunnon; and he asked for a bite
and drink. And she looked him up
and down, and her decidement were
that he meant no harm, so she asked
him in and gave it he. And he talked
from one to t'other of foreign parts and
the wars; and Nancy, she were terrible
took up with it all; and he had, they
said, way with him, and he were an
honest young chap, too, but for his trade.
Well, without so much as her fndino
out, she gets to tell he that she is alone
till the night, till the old man come, and
that he and the lads was away: Joe TO
Guildford and Dick to the mill over by
Haslemere; he was but lately come back
and keeping suiet; giving his work, and
everyone was on his side, and would not
betray he to any of the Kings mea-she,
who was that sharp they called her
Hawk eyed Nance, she were drawed
on and on and he wound up with more
of his tales, and went on his way, leaving
her thinking on the Indies, and wish
ing she might see the sailor again
''But he, he went back to his mates,
and they followed Dick up, and sure
enough they nailed him at the mill, and
he were warranted and throw'd into
jail. Well, the fray come off, and the
coastguardses beat the smugglers all
along the line, and Joe Dedman was
killed in the fray, and the old man
swore as he would track the traitor who
told on Dick and take his life for his son
Joe; for had Dick been there he would
have made one too many for the devils
of Kings men. Nancy hadn't a thought
as how it were she, no, not when at the
Haslemere Fairing she met the sailor,
who said as how he'd settled down with
his father, old Farmer Kemp, to Godal-
ming-which was truth, for he'd giv'd
up coastguardsing.
Zone way and another they was al
ways meeting, and young Kemp he lost
his heart to she, and they say as he told
his father as he must have Nancy Ded-
man or he would be off to the war. The
old farmer shook'd his head, but he
could never give his son any denial,
and when once he brought Nancy to see
the old man, he said he were bound to
confess that Nancy had the way of a
lady, for all she were so brown, and
was of the Dedman lot. 1t made deal
of talk, but old Dedman, he took no
heed, till one day il were soon after